16 Pros and Cons of Corporal

Punishment in Public Schools

Sep 16, 2019 by Editor in Chief
Corporal punishment is banned in the armed forces of the United States in
their training sentence. It is no longer permissible to use it as a sentence for a
crime. Juvenile detention facilities are banning it in almost all circumstances
as well. Teachers in a Head Start program are not allowed to use it.

There are still 19 states as of 2018 that still permit schools to use corporal
punishment as a form of discipline. In the places where it is permissible to hit
a child for spanking, there are methods that include a paddle which is still
allowed as well. More than 106,000 children were physically punished in
American public schools during the 2013-2014 school year, which is the last
time that data has been released on the subject.

Even though the number of students punished in this manner has declined,
there is a significantly higher number of boys, African-Americans, and
disabled students who receive this consequence at a greater rate than their
classmates. Since 2016, only two states, Louisiana and Tennessee, have
amended their corporal punishment laws to protect children with disabilities.

Corporal punishment at private schools is permissible in 48 states.

List of the Pros of Corporal Punishment in Schools

1. Schools have the option to pursue other policies if they prefer.
When you look at the map of corporal punishment incidents in the United
States, the vast majority of them occur in Texas and the southern states that
were part of the Confederacy. There are a handful of incidents that happened
in Indiana, Idaho, and Missouri as well. Even though the number of students
who receive this form of discipline represents just 0.2% of the overall U.S.
public school population, a significant majority of students in the south attend
districts where it is permissible.
Some states have moved to an option where individual schools or districts can
decide if they want to use corporal punishment. The last remaining school
district in North Carolina voted in October 2018 to end this practice, which
ends it for the state even though it is still legal.
2. Corporal punishment follows the family practices of some
communities.
The school districts in the United States that still use corporal punishment are
typically very supportive of the practice. They are often convinced that it helps
to change the behavior of the student because that is the same approach that
is used at home. Some rural areas of the country have parents that find it not
only culturally acceptable to spank with a paddle or belt, but it is also the
preferable approach over a suspension.
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3. It immediately stops unwanted behavior.
The primary reason why schools allow corporal punishment is that it gives
teachers and administrators an option to immediately stop unwanted behavior.
If someone is being unsafe, then this intervention can create a positive
outcome for everyone else involved in the situation. It can be a way to keep
the classroom safer from bullying, shoving or unsafe decisions that can
happen frequently when children are younger.
4. The actual data on the impact of corporal punishment is limited.
Everything that Americans know about nationwide corporal punishment
comes from the datasets that the Department of Education manages through
the Office for Civil Rights. The information is somewhat limited in its scope,
categorizing students by gender, race, and disability. It does not indicate what
disability a student might have, nor does it offer information about what type of
physical punishment that the student received. There is no data on why the
students were punished either.
Tennessee enacted a law in 2018 that requires schools to report these details,
including the reason for each instance of corporal punishment. Proponents
suggest that because the data is limited and many studies are from overseas
locations, the assumptions that some might make about this practice are
potentially flawed.

5. It sets clear boundaries for the child to follow.

When kids have a clear set of expectations that receive support from a
consistent structure, then it is easier for them to make positive choices.
Children also make better choices when they have an understanding of what
to expect if they choose certain actions. The goal is to create a deterrent
against specific unwanted behaviors in the same way that prison is supposed
to act as a way to stop crime. This effect can prevent a continuation of
adverse choices to conform to societal expectations at home, school, or
anywhere else they happen to be.
6. Kids often choose corporal punishment if provided the option.
Some schools give children the option of choosing corporal punishment or a
suspension. Other consequences might be offered as well, such as after-
school detention. When there is a choice between a physical consequence
and something else, most kids will choose the former over the latter. The swift
punishment allows them to stay in contact with their friends, maintain their
classroom status, and stay engaged with school activities. The child’s
education remains uninterrupted, which means less homework is necessary to
perform as well.
7. Corporal punishment must follow specific rules of implementation.
There are specific laws and stipulations that school districts must follow if they
choose to use corporal punishment in the classroom. Before Louisiana
updated their laws in this area, they required that three swats were permitted
at most with a paddle that cannot exceed 20 inches in length and four inches
in width. If teachers or administrators punish a child using some other method
that falls outside of the policies or procedures in place, then there is the
possibility that the staff could be held criminally liable for any injuries suffered
by the child.
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List of the Cons of Corporal Punishment in Schools

1. The distribution of corporal punishment is not equal.
The Government Accountability Office looked at the federal data on corporal
punishment in schools for the last year it was released. They found that
African-American children, both boys and girls, receive this consequence 22%
more often than the general population in the K-12 population. In some
schools in Mississippi and Alabama, the rates can be up to five times higher
for them when compared to children from a Caucasian background.
Boys are more likely to receive this consequence than girls as well, even if the
reason for a consequence involves the same behavior.

2. It impacts the health and wellbeing of children with disabilities.

Children with disabilities of any type are more likely to experience a physical
injury when receiving corporal punishment. The different medical diagnoses
that are possible in the modern public school are numerous. Any sort of
impact from an adult, who is clearly stronger than the child, could result in
long-term health consequences. Tennessee officials moved to protect this
population after discovering that those with disabilities were being physically
punished 80% more often than students with “normal” health and behaviors.
Louisiana schools were also punishing students with disabilities at a rate that
was disproportionately high to the general population.
3. Parents believe that it gives them permission to do the same thing.
Many parents are highly protective of their ability to discipline their own
children. They want to use a method that they see as fit for the circumstances.
Tennessee’s new laws allow the parents of a disabled child to opt-in for
corporal punishment as a compromise, and it was necessary to add this
option to get the bill to pass in the first place.
In 2012, after Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings was indicted for
hitting his son with a “switch,” 70% of Americans agreed with the idea that it is
sometimes necessary to discipline children with a good, hard spanking.

4. Corporal punishment produces several adverse outcomes for

children.
When children are spanked severely or frequently, then they have a higher
risk of experiencing a bevy of mental health issues in the future. This
disadvantage can range from depression to anxiety. It can also include drug
or alcohol abuse. Parents who hit their children with a belt, switch, paddle, or
hand may also develop a more distant relationship with their kids later on in
life.
5. It produces more aggression in children instead of serving as a
teaching tool.
A meta-analysis of 27 studies performed in 2012 found that children who
receive regular spankings are more likely to be aggressive. This outcome
occurs well into adulthood as well. Although most parents use this disciplinary
action to immediately stop unwanted behaviors that could put the child or
someone else in danger, kids can also learn to associate the violence of the
act with power or ensuring that you can get your own way by doing the same
thing to other people.
There is a trend in all cultures, across all time periods, ages, and countries,
where corporal punishment creates a higher risk of turning a child toward
bullying, spousal abuse, and similar outcomes.

6. Corporal punishment reduces the cognitive ability of the child.

Studies that go back to the early 1960s show that there is a potential
relationship between the use of corporal punishment and a decreased
cognitive ability during the early childhood years. Over 40 years of follow-up
studies have found similar results. A 2009 effort examining two cohorts of
children in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth found that the children of
mothers who use little or no corporal punishment gained cognitive abilities
faster than those who received frequent spankings.
A 2013 study found that high-frequency spanking by a father at the age of 5
was directly associated with a lower vocabulary score four years later.
Schools that use corporal punishment in kindergarten were also in the bottom
20% of math scores. There is also evidence to suggest that spanking children
places them at a higher risk of academic failure by the fifth grade.

7. Most of the developed world has banned corporal punishment.

54 countries have already banned the use of corporal punishment as a
consequence for children. This process includes an elimination of the practice
at home – not just in the schools. There are only 9 countries that still permit
this practice without consequence, with most of them in Africa or the Middle
East. From an American perspective, the only justification often given for it
involves a family tradition. “It was done to me and I survived, so that is what I
will do with my children as well.”
8. Even correctly administered corporal punishment can result in an
injury.
When an adult inflicts a purposeful injury on someone else, there is the
possibility that such an action could qualify as criminal assault. When corporal
punishment is allowed in schools, then an injury can occur when an adult who
is not a child’s parent decides to inflict the physical consequence. If the
practice is not implemented correctly, then there is a risk that an injury could
occur. This outcome is possible with correct usage as well. If a child is
focused more on the pain they feel instead of their studies, then the
educational outcome will not be as beneficial to their future.
9. Discipline and corporal punishment walk a fine line with abuse.
One of the most famous incidents that looks at this disadvantage involves a
church in Georgia. Over 40 children were placed into the custody of the state
in 2001 because the congregation was using corporal punishment at the
behest of the pastor. Some religious communities take the concept of “spare
the rod, spoil the child” to a much higher level. When police detectives
interviewed the families, they said that the kids were whipped because it was
a punishment for their improper choices. Many of the parents even refused to
let their kids come home because they wouldn’t agree to change their
approach to discipline.
The pros and cons of corporal punishment in school are essential to consider
if you live in a state where this practice is still permitted. Whether you agree
with physical consequences or you prefer a different method of discipline, it is
imperative that parents stay connected to their local schools and their child’s
teacher to understand the choices that kids can make. It may be a successful
solution in limited circumstances, but the wealth of research suggests that
other forms of behavior modification are more effective.